The home security specialist will be asking tradespeople across the UK to submit photos of their favourite breakfast via social media from 25th Feb to the 22nd March.

The best entries across four categories (Sweet- Heart, Protein Junkie, The King of Fry-Ups, and Healthy Hero) will be showcased on a dedicated area of the Yale website.

Photos should be tagged with #Yalebreakfast, and the best shown on Yale’s social channels, across Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

Yale will select the top three entries for each category and put them to a vote live on Instagram Story; entrants will have 24 hours to get as many votes as they can. The winner of each category will win a £100 restaurant voucher.

Online construction community On The Tools has also created an exclusive video to launch the competition across social media (link to video).

The competition is part of Yale’s Anything but Standard campaign, which focuses on the brand’s commitment to creating products that consistently exceed the standards laid out by the BSI Group.

]]>Fixings and powertool business reveals its comical side in new videohttp://www.buildersmerchantsjournal.net/fixings-and-powertool-business-reveals-its-comical-side-in-new-video/
Thu, 13 Sep 2018 09:55:35 +0000http://www.buildersmerchantsjournal.net/?p=42999The Fixings and Powertool Center, which is based in Redhill, has revealed a rather cheeky side to its business following the release of footage from its new promotional video.

The independent powertools and fixings specialist has proved its staff certainly aren’t shy when it comes to taking centre stage and being in front of a camera.

Appearing in its new trade video, the team showed they were definitely game for a laugh by dressing as 90s’ popstars, lying in a bath of nuts and bolts, modelling high vis jackets and soaking themselves in drinks.

Rex Nye, who is the owner of the Fixings and Powertools Center, has a small cameo role in the video. Nye, who also owns the Sussex-based builders’ merchant D.W. Nye, said:

“I wanted to showcase our amazing team’s ‘always open’ attitude by pushing the boundaries a little bit and addressing the preconceptions of what people might think of the trade – that maybe we are somewhat outdated and stuffy, or even a bit boring. We wanted to prove we are anything other than that!”

]]>Worshipful Company gears up youth campaignhttp://www.buildersmerchantsjournal.net/worshipful-company-gears-up-youth-campaign/
Wed, 05 Sep 2018 21:08:16 +0000http://www.buildersmerchantsjournal.net/?p=42913The Worshipful Company of Builders Merchants is stepping up its Build A Career in Merchanting campaign to encourage young people to take up a career in the builders merchant sector.

The campaign arose from WCoBM attending exhibitions; talking to school children, parents and teachers; presenting in schools; and realising that as an industry merchanting has not been good at communicating what it’s all about, what’s good about it, and why it matters.

Youth recruitment and this campaign is a particular passion of current Master Brian Blanchard who told BMJ: “Awareness of construction is low, and it’s not generally on the list of careers to consider, and parents and teachers tend to steer their children and students away from it. At a time when the industry has a skills and capacity shortfall that’s a serious problem.

“The reality is, our industry is a big and important one with tremendous career prospects. ”
The campaign is targeted at young people leaving school or college and looking for a career where they can develop new skills, build qualifications and explore new avenues.
The core of the campaign includes a new video on the benefits of working in our industry featuring personal accounts from individuals and a new leaflet which speaks to young people, with key facts and figures on construction.

Both the video and leaflet are available to view/download on the website:. http://www.wcobm.co.uk/about/build-your-career/

]]>Elliott Brothers at 175http://www.buildersmerchantsjournal.net/elliott-brothers-at-175/
Tue, 13 Mar 2018 14:36:32 +0000http://www.buildersmerchantsjournal.net/elliott-brothers-at-175Hamphire-based independent, family-run builders merchant Elliotts has released a special commemorative video to celebrate its 175th birthday.
]]>Selco makes eight-year-old’s Christmashttp://www.buildersmerchantsjournal.net/selco-makes-eight-year-olds-christmas/
Mon, 18 Dec 2017 09:11:24 +0000http://www.buildersmerchantsjournal.net/selco-makes-eight-year-olds-christmasSelco Builders Warehouse got a new manager for its Warrington branch when an eight-year old swapped the school classroom for the manager’s chair.

The family of Luke Shaw, a pupil at St Vincent’s Catholic Primary School in Finlay Avenue, Warrngton regularly visits the branch on a Saturday with his father, a painter and decorator. His family posted a video on social media of the youngster detailing his affection for Selco Builders Warehouse.

On seeing the video, Selco arranged for him to be picked up in a delivery truck by Warrington branch manager Paul Birtles and taken to the Milner Street branch where he spent the morning carrying out the managerial duties. Luke got to sit in the manager’s chair, serve a customer, do a tannoy announcement – and even tell off a member of staff and put a full English breakfast on the manager’s tab!

Kate Shaw, Luke’s mother, said: “It was a fantastic gesture from Selco and Luke loved it. He hasn’t stopped talking about it since and it has made his whole year, let alone Christmas.

“He loves everything about Selco and always waves at the trucks and vans when we see them on the road.

“It was a great experience for him and I can’t thank Selco enough. When we posted the initial video of Luke saying how much he loved Selco, we never imagined anything like this would happen.”

Regular branch manager Paul said: “Luke was an absolute star and it was a real pleasure to give him the surprise.

“You could tell how excited he was to be the branch manager for the morning and he really embraced all of the jobs he did.

“Luke is a definite Selco branch manager in the making.”

Selco also teamed up with Rugby League club Warrington Wolves to secure Luke a signed ball and two tickets to the opening game of next season against Leeds Rhinos on February

The pair of videos provide a useful sales tool for merchants to show how Digby Stone porcelain tiles are ideal for a low maintenance garden and are easily cleaned.

Each video is targeted at a different type of customer – a homeowner video and a landscaper video – which will help merchants tailor their sales pitch using this resource.

The homeowner video demonstrates removing stains such as red wine, coffee and barbecue food. The landscaper video covers such stains as slurry primer and jointing compound.

These resources form part of a larger series which Digby Stone have launched during the summer, which can be found on their website as well as their YouTube channel.”

]]>Buildbase goes on film to promote industry to next generationhttp://www.buildersmerchantsjournal.net/buildbase-goes-on-film-to-promote-industry-to-next-generation/
Wed, 18 Oct 2017 11:21:46 +0000http://www.buildersmerchantsjournal.net/buildbase-goes-on-film-to-promote-industry-to-next-generationNational builders’ merchant, Buildbase has collaborated with ITN Productions and the Chartered Institute of Builders (CIOB) to produce a four-minute programme that highlights the role of apprenticeships in shaping the next generation of building supplies professionals.

The programme is introduced by national newsreader, Natasha Kaplinsky. It stars the Grantham branch of Buildbase, featuring customer, Andrew Musson of Musson’s Heating, who enters the branch to ask for product advice. Served by Buildbase sales apprentice, Hannah Gaunt, it demonstrates that good product knowledge is key to delivering great service in a builders’ merchant.

The film also goes behind the scenes of the Buildbase apprenticeship scheme and highlights the benefits of running an apprenticeship such as improving diversity and developing the next generation of managers.

Buildbase CEO, Kate Tinsley explained: “We hope this film helps raise awareness of the benefits of these types of schemes to young people as well as to the industry as a whole.

“We wanted to highlight how vital apprenticeships are, both to our business and the wider industry. They provide a great career path for the next generation of talent, help ensure an exceptional experience for our customers and play an important role in the communities that we’re part of. They are also helping us to improve the diversity of our workforce, which is one of the biggest challenges facing builders merchants at the moment.”

British bathroom manufacturer Armitage Shanks has collaborated with professional music producer DJ Molecules to create a piece of music made using recordings of sample sounds in the bathroom and from plumbers going about their job.

The track is made using everyday noises and sounds such as a flushing toilet, dripping tap a pipe being cut, to create a contemporary piece of music.

In addition, as part of its Celebrate 200 campaign, Armitage Shanks has created a free-to-download smartphone App, ‘Beats 200’ enabling plumbers and Armitage Shanks fans alike the opportunity to create their own pieces of music for fun, using the same sounds recorded by DJ Molecules.

Users can upload their track to be considered by judges, with the most popular user-generated tracks shared set to be rewarded with a £5,000 prize and published on a Beats 200 album.

Builders’ merchants are at increasing risk of significant Health and Safety fines following last year’s changed H&S guidelines, especially those merchants turning over between £10m and £50m a year.

That’s the new warning from specialist Health and Safety consultancy Southalls and international law firm Gowling WLG.

Since the new guidelines were introduced a year ago, there have been an unprecedented number of sanctions and fines for breaching the Health and Safety at Work Act etc (1974). It has now become commonplace to see fines of more than £1m for non-fatal cases for example, which previously would have been dealt with in a magistrates’ court.

Andrew Litchfield, partner, Gowling WLG, says: “A major factor in the size of these sentences is the turnover of the defendant organisation. What we’re seeing currently is a disproportionate effect on medium sized organisations, rather than those with a turnover of excess of £50m for example.

“For very large organisations the sentencing guidelines do not include sentencing tables, and we have yet to see commensurate fines for the largest businesses. The highest industry fine so far was to UK leading builders’ merchant Travis Perkins for £2 million after the death of a customer in Milton Keynes – this may well encourage the Courts to set even higher penalties.

He continues: “The purpose of the sentencing is to remind offending business owners and shareholders that they simply cannot break health and safety legislation – it’s got to hurt, that’s the point of the sentence. It is our belief that it is only a matter of time before we see fines in excess of £10m.”

Many more individuals are also being investigated and prosecuted far more frequently for Health and Safety offences. According to an IOSH report published last month, ‘in 2015-2016, 46 company directors and senior manager were prosecuted under health and safety law, compared to an annual average of 24 in the five previous years’.

The intention of the new sentencing Health and Safety guidelines is to make sentencing more transparent; judges have a series of steps they must follow to arrive at the ultimate sentence. As it is possible for businesses to see which category they fall into based on their turnover, they can then work out what a possible fine may look like. The logical decision therefore, is for businesses to invest time and funds up front reviewing their procedures to prevent an incident occurring.

John Southall, director, Southalls adds: “When you are putting in possible outcomes in a risk assessment, say the risk of injury, if you err on the side of caution and state that an outcome is ‘death’ from falling down the stairs. If the HSE investigate the incident, you may be setting yourself up for a significant fine. It’s very difficult to argue that you’re not in Harm Category 1 according to the guidelines, if your own risk assessment contains that conclusion.

Andrew Litchfield continues: “Risk assessment and safe system of work documents therefore, must reduce risk and help to prevent the accident happening in the first place. They must be practical and realistic too. Culpability is important here, making sure the control measures are actually being followed through properly.

“If you can show that you have discharged that duty and that you are working towards a recognised industry standard then that’s even better. Failing to respond to complaints or near misses would put a business in the higher culpability bracket. If unsure you must seek professional guidance.

“Businesses must review the systems they have in place to identify and manage risk. Do they accurately reflect current business practice and are they being operated on the ground? Prevention is going to be far less costly than trying to deal with it once it has gone wrong.”

With builders’ merchants having to manage far more health and safety issues than most other retailers, the importance of full compliance is particularly important for both companies and individuals.